hydrogeology

hydrogeology

A degree in Earth science can prepare individuals for careers in a variety of fields, including environmental conservation, energy resources, wildlife conservation, environmental consulting and more. But students in the Earth science degree program at Penn State are getting a leg up on the competition to land jobs by gaining computer programming language experience as part of their curriculum.

Sasmita Sahoo, a postdoctoral researcher in Penn State’s Department of Geosciences, won first place in Penn State’s eighth annual Postdoctoral Research Poster Exhibition, held this fall at the Nittany Lion Inn. She received a cash prize of $500. Sahoo’s research poster, “Estimation of Groundwater Storage Changes in the Ogallala Aquifer, United States,” focused on the evaluation of changes in groundwater storage and showed that groundwater is depleting in major aquifers of the United States, leading to a serious threat to the sustainability of vital groundwater resources.

Dorothy Vesper takes her geology class on a field trip to a new road cut. She points out a hole in the rockface about eight inches across. "Is it a big hole or a little hole?" she asks. "Is it big enough that a little critter can get into it? Can you get your head into it? How much water can it carry?"